Stalkers
by XxXxDarkVampirexXxX
Summary: Stalkers are creepy, no argument there. But how do you deal with a stalker who's dead? SPR takes on a case that doesn't seem dangerous at all...at first. What'll they do when the case takes a deadly turn? Why is Mai feeling uneasy wherever she goes? And why is Naru so jealous of their client?
1. Chapter 1

**Yo…so uh…I dunno, this kinda just popped up in my mind a couple of days ago and I thought I'd just…make a fic outta it…so yeah…here it is…(I hate Valentine's Day...)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters…**

A cellphone ringing interrupted the sleepy silence in a teenage girl's small home. Sixteen year old Mai Taniyama fumbled for a moment, before grabbing the device and flipping it open. She placed it to her ear.

"Hello…?" she questioned sleepily.

"Mai. Office. Now. Buy tea."

The dial tone met the girl's ears. The caller had hung up after saying his very direct five words. Mai hung up as well and put her cell down with a sigh. She slipped out of bed and began getting dressed.

"I can't believe I have to go in on a Sunday," she mumbled.

She smiled slightly as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Valentine's Day was coming up in about a week and she had already begun to dress for the occasion by wearing colours such as pink, red, black and white.

Mai headed into the kitchen to get started on breakfast, and took her time about it too. She figured it wouldn't matter how late she'd be for work. Her boss had been the one to tell her to go to the store first after all…

Later, at a grocery store that was close to where Mai worked, she wandered over to the isle where the tea was stocked.

_Oh…it's on sale_, realized. _"That's good… _She picked up five different boxes. _This should last him a couple of weeks_, she mused. _Probably… _She headed over to cash.

"Hey, Mai-chan," greeted the cashier.

"Takeshi-senpai! Hi! I forgot you'd be here today," said Mai happily.

Takeshi Nakahara was an eighteen year old boy who was a third year at Mai's school. He worked the cashier job after school and on certain Sundays. He and Mai had first met when the girl had been buying tea. Takeshi had noticed her uniform and mentioned that he went to the same school as well. The two had hit it off rather quickly and were good friends now.

"So, how's the infamous Shibuya-san doing?" wondered Takeshi as he ringed up the boxes of tea.

"Naru's the same as usual," replied Mai grumpily. "Do you know HOW he told me to come to work today?" She attempted to mimic her boss's deep voice and repeated what he had said to her on the phone earlier. "Mai. Office. Now. Buy tea."

Takeshi laughed. "Well, that's Shibuya-san for you."

Kazuya Shibuya was seventeen years old and was president of the Shibuya Psychic Research, SPR for short. Mai had christened him Naru, a nickname worthy of his narcissistic personality. Recently however, Mai and the rest of the team had found out that Naru had been lying about his identity. He was actually a British professor, whose real name was Oliver Davis. It had been shocking at first, but Mai had since accepted it. Though she hadn't changed what she called him.

Mai paid for the tea, said goodbye to her senpai/friend and left the store. She walked over to SPR's building and headed inside. As soon as she stepped into the lounge however, she was hit with a blast of unease. She looked around in alarm, expecting to see something or someone strange, but the only one there, was Lin Koujo, Naru's Chinese assistant.

"Mai-san?" he said, approaching her. "Are you alright?"

She looked up at the tall man and shook her head. "It's nothing…I was probably daydreaming again."

"Which wouldn't be all that surprising," said a sudden voice.

The two assistants looked round and saw that their young boss had emerged from his office at last.

"Naru!"

"You're late," he said.

Mai huffed. "You're the one who told me to buy tea on my tea on my way here."

"Did you?"

"Course I did!" Mai exclaimed, shaking the bag she was holding.

"Good. Make it then. We've got a potential client coming in ten minutes," said Naru.

"We do? Really?"

Naru gave a nod. "He called a couple of days ago but didn't have time to tell me the full situation. So, I told him to come here today."

Mai was surprised at hearing this. Naru didn't normally do that unless it was a major case…or dangerous. She then asked him a question along those lines.

"No," said Naru. "From what I know, it doesn't seem dangerous but…the information given to me was…intriguing."

"What did he tell you?" asked Mai curiously.

"You'll find out when he arrives," said Naru. "Just wait and make tea."

"Fine, fine," said Mai with a sigh. She made her way into the kitchen area and began to make the tea…

She had just placed the cups down on the table in the lounge, when the bell above the main door jingled as it opened. Naru and Lin, who were seated, looked up, while Mai turned around. Her jaw dropped.

"Takeshi-senpai!" she exclaimed in surprise as her friend walked forward.

Takeshi waved with a smile. "Hey Mai-chan," he said. Looking past the girl he spotted Naru and Lin. "Shibuya-san and Lin-san, I presume?"

Both nodded and shook hands with the teen, who then sat down next to Mai.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming here?" asked the girl.

Takeshi shrugged. "My boss would've gotten pissed; you know what he's like."

Mai laughed. "I know how that feels."

Lin hid his smirk when he glanced over at Naru, who was scowling.

"You came here to speak about the paranormal events happening around you, Takeshi-san," said Naru. "I suggest you begin."

Takeshi stopped laughing. "Damn, Mai. I see what you've been talking about."

"Told you!"

Takeshi's eyes then fell upon a teacup that clearly was for him. He looked at Mai, who gave him an I-know-you-hate-tea-just-drink-it-so-my-tea-addict-boss-doesn't-get-pissed look. After chuckling at this, he began to speak seriously.

"So anyway, it's like I told you on the phone the other day, Shibuya-san. I think I'm being stalked by a spirit…

**Yeah…that's the beginning…it's still in the works so…yeah…Don't worry, this IS a NaruxMai fic, Takeshi's just a friend…Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yo…I'm glad you guys liked the first chapter…I wasn't so sure, but I guess its fine…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters, I own Takeshi though, in case you haven't noticed.**

"Stalked by a spirit?" Mai repeated in confusion.

"Yeah," said Takeshi with a nod.

"When did you first notice this?" questioned Naru as Lin began to type away on his laptop. "By that, I mean, when did you come to realize there was a spirit around you?"

The older boy thought for a moment. "A couple of months ago, I think…" he said.

"December?"

"Yeah, about a week before Christmas."

"I see," said Naru. "And what exactly has been going on? Why did you request our help?"

"Well, it's not like it's doing anything," said Takeshi. "It's just awkward cause it's always there…like someone's constantly breathing down my neck, y'know? I just want it gone."

"Do you know who it could be?" asked Mai.

"Nope, no idea," said Takeshi with a shrug.

"I'll accept this case," said Naru after a moment of silence. "Make sure to have some rooms for us to use as our base and for the team to sleep in."

"Cool," said Takeshi, getting to his feet. "Already taken care of."

"Oh, and while we investigate, you won't be able to go to school," the black haired teen added.

"Even better! Are you starting tomorrow?" And when Naru nodded, Takeshi said, "Great, see you then. I gotta get back to work. My break ends in a couple of minutes." He thanked Naru, nodded at Lin, and had Mai walk him to the door.

"Mai, tea!" Naru called, as he headed back into his office. He collapsed in his chair and immediately lost himself in his thoughts…but it wasn't the case he was thinking about. His mind was focused on Takeshi and Mai.

_How did they know each other? How long have they known each other? Why do they look so close? Why is Mai always smiling around him? Does he like Mai? Does Mai like him?_

Naru scowled at his thoughts. Takeshi didn't seem like someone Mai would be interested in anyway. That fiery coloured hair* didn't seem to be Mai's style. But then…what WAS Mai's style…?

_What was MAI interested in? Did he even know? Could she possibly be interested in him, her boss? Was HE interested in her, his young assistant?_

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, just as a knock sounded on his door.

"Naru, I have your tea!" Mai called.

"Come in," said Naru.

The door opened and Mai walked in, balancing a teacup on a tray. As usual, she had given Lin his drink first. Naru took the cup and sipped the liquid. Mai was still standing there. This wasn't anything new; she always waited for him to thank him…which he never actually did.

He looked at her and was slightly surprised. Instead of seeing that impatient look he had been expecting, he saw a troubled look on her face.

"Mai?" he voiced automatically.

"I…don't think you should've accepted that case, Naru," said the girl slowly.

"Why not?" he questioned.

"…I don't know," said Mai quietly. "I just…don't like it…" After a moment, she seemed to realize what she had been saying, for she suddenly shook her head and pulled on a fake smile. "Sorry, Naru! I'll get back to work."

She quickly left his office, leaving Naru alone once more…

*Takeshi's hair is an orangey-reddish colour.

**That's all for now…Next part up once I think of something…Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yo…I know it's been a little while but writer's block and all…y'know…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters…I only own my own…**

"_Mai. Wake up…"_

_Mai opened her eyes and found herself in the Astral Plane with Gene looming over her. She shot up in surprise, nearly knocking their heads together._

"_Gene!"_

_He smiled and helped her to her feet._

Eugene Davis or Gene for short, was Naru's twin brother. He had come to Japan a couple of years ago, and was hit by a car. It clearly had been and accident, but instead of helping the boy, the car driver had dumped Gene's body into a nearby lake, killing him…

"_What am I doing here?" asked Mai._

"_Well, what do you normally come here for?" questioned Gene in amusement._

"…_The case…?"_

"_Yep," said Gene with a nod. "I wanted to ask you…how do you feel about your new case?"_

_Mai looked at her friend in confusion. _

"_What do…I feel…?" This was a little strange. Why was the dead teen asking her that? He never usually did, so…why now? "I dunno," said Mai. "I mean…I'm just…getting a bad feeling…even though the case itself doesn't seem all that bad."_

"_Hmm. If I'm being honest…I don't see how this case could be dangerous at all… Even then, I want you to be careful," said Gene. "Just in case…okay?"_

_Mai nodded and said goodbye to her friend, before leaving the Astral Plane. Gene watched her go, a look of curiosity on his face. Mai's intuition seemed to be developing. She was feeling things before even he managed to figure out what was going on… He was very impressed and proud of Mai._

"Mai…Mai!"

The girl jolted awake, sitting up quickly, nearly hitting Naru in the process. Apparently he had been hovering over her.

"Naru!" Mai gasped. "Holy…what is it with you Davis twins and looming over me when I wake up?" Mai questioned, a hand over her heart. She looked around, realizing she was at home in her bed. "Naru! What the hell are you doing in my room!"

Naru sat back and pulled his usual face. "You never showed up at the office, Mai," he said. "We can't possibly start this case without you. Who'll make tea and get into trouble?"

"Wow, glad to see you guys desperately need me," said Mai sarcastically. She flipped the covers over and got out of bed. She pulled Naru to his feet and proceeded to shove him out of her room. "Out. I need to change," she declared.

Once her boss had left the room, Mai sank down to the floor, blushing furiously. Exactly HOW long had Naru been sitting there for?

After calming herself, Mai began to get dressed and she quickly packed up some change of clothes for the case. She then left her room and headed down the hallway, spotting Naru standing there, his eyes closed, arms folded across his chest, leaning back against the front door.

"Are you done yet?" he questioned.

"Um…almost…"

A few minutes later Mai was seated in the back of SPR's van with Takigawa, who was going to be joining them.

The brown haired, ponytailed man was an ex-monk who now had his own band. He still however, did exorcisms and things of that nature at times, which was Mai called him 'Bou-san'.

"Neh, Bou-san? How come Naru only called you?" asked Mai.

The monk shrugged. "He didn't need that much help."

"Oh… Oh! That's right! I forgot!" Mai suddenly exclaimed.

"Forgot what?" asked Bou-san in confusion.

"I had a dream last night," replied the girl.

Naru twisted around in his seat.

"Did Gene tell you anything?" he questioned.

Mai thought for a moment.

"Well, he didn't really say much… He just asked me how I felt about the case, that he didn't think it'll be dangerous and to be careful anyway…"

"I see…"

Naru turned to the front and leaned back in his seat. His fingers came up to his chin and he sat there pondering in silence for the rest of the ride, ignoring Mai, Bou-san and even Lin when they tried to talk to him.

"Don't you hate when he does that?" Mai huffed in annoyance.

Bou-san chuckled and ruffled the disgruntled girl's hair.

**That's all for now…working on the next part…Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yo…here's the next chapter…I finished it a little quicker than I thought I would…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters…**

SPR's van pulled up in front of a rather large home. Everyone except Mai, who had been there before, looked at it in surprise.

"Mai...does Takeshi-san live here by himself?" questioned Naru.

"Why would he live in such a big place alone? His friend lives with him," replied Mai.

"He lives with his friend? What about his family?" asked Bou-san.

"They're dead," replied Mai shortly. "It happened a couple of years ago and they left everything in Takeshi-senpai's name. He was the only child, after all..."

"Oh...I see..."

Naru and the two men could see that Mai knew more than what she was saying, but could also tell that the topic was rather private and Mai seemed uncomfortable talking about it.

"Bou-san, Lin, start unloading the van," commanded Naru. "Mai, since you know the client, come with me."

The Chinese man said nothing. He simply gave a nod and turned back to the van. Mai and the monk on the other hand, saluted their boss.

"Yes sir!"

Naru resisted the temptation to both smile and roll his eyes. He grabbed Mai by the arm and pulled her towards the house.

He knocked on the door and it was opened a moment or so later, by a young man with short, dark brown hair.

"Mai-chan, hey," he said with a smile.

Mai smiled back. "Hi, senpai!"

The brown haired boy looked at Naru.

"I'm guessing this is Shibuya-san?"

"Yep," said Mai with a nod.

They figured it was best to wait until everyone was there to do introductions, that way they wouldn't have to repeat themselves. So, they were shown to their base first.

It was a nice sized room with large windows, tables, chairs and a couple of couches.

Once all the equipment had been placed there, everyone met up in the large living room. Mai then began doing quick introductions.

"Senpai, this is Kazuya Shibuya, the boss."

Naru said nor did anything. He simply just stood there. Mai continued.

"This is Lin Koujo-san, his other assistant."

Lin inclined his head.

"And this is Takigawa Houshou-san, the monk."

Bou-san gave a smile and waved.

"Guys," Mai now said to the team, "this is Takeshi Nakahara-senpai, our client."

Said teen mimicked the monk's earlier movements.

"And this is Junpei Tatsu-senpai, his friend and housemate," Mai concluded.

Now that all that was finished, Naru told Lin and Bou-san to start setting up the base, while he and Mai spoke to Takeshi and Junpei.

Mai was to take notes, so after some hesitation from Lin's part, the Onmyouji finally handed the girl his beloved laptop.

"Relax Lin-san, I won't break it or anything," said Mai with a smile.

Lin still wasn't a hundred percent sure, bur figured it was best for him not to say anything.

The two men left the room, leaving the teens alone. They sat down, Naru and Mai next to one another and Takeshi and Junpei next to each other.

Mai opened up the laptop and had Naru type in the password, since she didn't know it. Once that was done, she opened a word document and waited for someone to speak. After noticing she was ready, Naru began.

"Takeshi-san, at the office yesterday, you claimed that you're being stalked by a spirit?"

Mai began to type immediately and Takeshi replied with a nod.

"Yeah. Things were perfectly normal up until around Christmas time. One day I just suddenly got this feeling that I was being watched. And by being watched, I mean it was as if someone was standing right in front of me, staring intently."

"So basically, you felt someone get all up in your face."

"Yeah, exactly," Takeshi said to his friend.

"Do you only sense it watching you?" asked Naru. "It doesn't do anything else?"

The fiery haired young man shook his head.

"I don't think it's ever gotten physical with ME before."

Mai, who had been typing as quickly as she could, noticed the way Takeshi had said that last sentence.

"Does that mean the spirit's been physical with someone else?" she asked.

The senpai smiled.

"I don't think it likes strangers much..."

"What do you mean?" questioned Naru, not liking the mysteriousness.

"See, whenever someo-!"

Takeshi cut off abruptly as the lights began to flicker on and off. Mai gripped Naru's arm rather tightly as a strange, loud groaning sounded from somewhere above them.

Mai suddenly felt a strange, intense feeling of hatred. It was right in front of her and it was directed towards her.

"No...!"

**Yeah, that's all…it's starting rather slowly, I know, but I'm trying to draw it out a bit…Besides, I don't really know what'll be happening yet…Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yo…sorry, I blanked out so this took me some time…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters…just my own…**

"Naumaku sanmanda bazaradan kan!"

The lights stopped flickering and the groaning sound ceased. Bou-san, who had just run into the room to chant his mantra, dropped his arms. Mai gave a sigh of relief when the intense feeling of hatred also vanished. Naru glanced down at his arm, where Mai was still holding onto him. Despite what had just taken place, he smiled inwardly before shaking his head in the same manner.

"Mai."

The girl glanced down and her eyes widened. She immediately pulled her hands back.

"S-sorry about that…!"

The three from SPR looked over at Takeshi and Junpei, both seemed unfazed by what had just happened.

"I believe things will be alright now, Bou-san," said Naru.

The man gave a nod and headed back to the base to continue what he had been doing before, and to fill Lin on in what had just taken place.

"I take it this has happened before?" said Naru, refocusing on their clients.

Both boys nodded.

"Every time someone comes over, this happens. I never lasts very long though," said Takeshi.

"It's almost like it's trying to scare our friends or guests away," explained Junpei. "That's what I think at least."

"Wait a sec…" said Mai in confusion, pausing in her typing, which she had just continued. "I've been here plenty of times and that's never happened before…"

Naru immediately looked over at his assistant.

"You've been here before…?"

"Yeah, of course I have," replied Mai, completely nonplussed.

Naru scowled. He didn't like that. …Why…?

Takeshi and Junpei glanced at one another, sharing a look of confusion.

"We've noticed that too," said Takeshi. "That whenever Mai's here, nothing happens…"

"Then why are things happening now?"

"Probably because Mai isn't the only one here," replied Junpei. "You're here Shibuya-san, as is Lin-san and Takigawa-san."

Mai finished typing this up as Naru put on his thinking hat.

_Why does activity not occur when only Mai is in the house with Takeshi and Junpei? There's something very strange about that._

"Is there a specific place where activity happens?"

"No," said Takeshi, shaking his head. "I mean, the whole stalking thing is obviously around me, but then things like what happened just now will occur. And those'll happen all over the house." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I can feel it again," he said abruptly. "It's just standing there behind me…"

Mai and Naru both looked there and Mai saw the faint outline of a figure. However, it disappeared as she tried to get a closer look.

"I think I just saw it, Naru," said the girl.

Everyone looked at her.

"I couldn't make out any details though. Not even a gender. It was very faint…"

"I see," said Naru, bringing his fingers up to his chin.

"I've seen it that way too," said Junpei. "Just an outline."

"Have you seen it, senpai?"

"Never," said Takeshi. "I just constantly feel it around me."

Naru suddenly stood up. "We'll need to start setting our equipment up now," he said. "I hope we have access to the entire house?"

"Yeah, you do," replied the red haired boy. "Don't worry about that."

Naru gave a nod.

"Come, Mai."

He then walked off, leaving Mai glaring at him.

"What am I? A dog?"

**That's it for now…Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yo…sorry, this took waaaaay longer than I meant it to…I just couldn't think of what to write next, but I think (hope) I'll be able to figure it out now…(hope…)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters…**

Naru and Mai headed back to the base, where they met up with Lin and Bou-san. To the girl's surprise, she was once again hit with a blast of unease, the same that had hit her at SPR the yesterday. And just like before, she looked around for the source of it, but was unable to find anything out of place.

"Mai?"

Mai looked over at Naru, who seemed to be watching her curiously. The two men in the room also glanced over at her and the girl hesitated, wondering whether she ought to say what had just happened. A moment later though, she decided against it.

"Sorry, I thought I just heard something," she said cheerfully.

She didn't want anyone to worry. Besides, it probably just her being paranoid again. It's not like _that _was new...

Naru continued watching her for a moment, but then he turned and went over to Lin. They spoke for a moment, while Bou-san and Mai began joking around, something that was quite natural for the two of them. A few minutes later, just as their laughter began getting rather loud, Naru turned to face them once more. And as much as he hated to stop that beautiful, ringing sound, he began to speak, causing the girl and monk to focus upon him.

"I want the two of you to start setting up the equipment," he said. He handed Mai a paper. "The locations are written here, the cameras are right there. Go."

"Looks like someone's feeling grumpy today," chided Bou-san.

"Now," growled their boss.

The monk and the girl exchanged a glance, before deciding not to argue and simply get to work. By the looks of it, Naru was already in a bad mood, though they had no idea why, and fighting back would only make it worse.

After Mai and Bou-san had left the room laden with equipment, Naru let out a long, drawn out sigh and sank into a chair. Lin glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, but the teen seemed alright, albeit a little annoyed and tired. Though, as they were on a new case where activity had occurred on the first day, it was expected for the boss to be feeling this way, which was technically right, but wrong at the same time.

_"Acting this way isn't going yo get you any closer to her, Noll."_

"…_Gene?"_

_"Obviously."_

_"What do you want?"_

_"Oooh, looks like someone's in a bad mood!"_

_"Shut up."_

_"Aww, c'mon Noll, don't be jealous."_

_"Who says I'm jealous?"_

_"You are!"_

_"Of whom, pray tell?"_

_"Takeshi!"_

"…_Go away."_

_"You know I'm right!"_

_"Gene, if you so much as-"_

"Noll."

Naru snapped back into focus and looked over at Lin.

"Yes?" he questioned, ignoring the fact that he and his dead twin brother had just been arguing inside his head a moment ago. It happened allot, so he never really paid attention to that strange quirk of his.

"From the equipment Takigawa-san and Mai-san have so far managed to set up, I've noticed that the temperature readings seem to be fluctuating rather drastically," explained Lin.

"Where is this happening?" asked Naru curiously.

"There's no specific area," replied the man. "It seems to occur wherever Takeshi-san and Mai-san go."

This got Naru's attention. His head snapped up and his deep blue eyes narrowed.

"What?" he said sharply.

Lin gave a nod as if confirming what he had last said.

The teen's eyes clouded over as he once again fell into thought. This time however, Gene was not there to distract him.

_Fluctuating temperatures occur around spirits_, he thought. _Takeshi's being followed by a spirit, which explains why it's happening around him. As for Mai… She was behaving odd earlier…not only earlier, but yesterday as well… Is there something following Mai too?_

Naru looked up at the monitors and caught a glimpse of Mai and Bou-san walking away from the camera they had just up. The two seemed to be talking happily, but he noticed Mai nervously glancing over her shoulder more than once and more than usual during that minute of time it took to wander down the hall and turn the corner to become hidden from view.

**And that's all I've got for this week…Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Yo…here we go again. Not much Naru in this chapter as it's mainly about Mai and Bou-san.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters…oh, or Death Note.**

"Mai-chan, you alright?"

Mai looked up at Bou-san who was walking beside her.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Why're you asking?"

"You've been awfully jumpy today, you know."

Mai looked back down, hesitating and the monk frowned.

"You know if there's something bothering you, you can tell me, right?" said Bou-san.

"It's nothing really," assured Mai. "Just that…I've been feeling a little...uneasy since yesterday, that's all."

"Uneasy?" repeated Bou-san, as they began setting up their next camera. "Yesterday as in accepting this case yesterday or before or after that?"

Mai thought for a moment as she and the man finished placing the camera and silently began to adjust it to the right angle.

"It actually started in the morning," she finally replied. "Before school."

She and Bou-san continued to their next location.

"What did you feel?"

Mai knocked on the door of Junpei's room. The dark haired teen opened the door and allowed them into his large, but fairly clean room, before collapsing back on his bed and continuing the reading of his Death Note manga. The two SPR workers went to the back corner of the room and began setting up their equipment.

"I just felt…really uneasy, that's all," Mai said quietly, so that Junpei wouldn't hear. "You know I live alone, but it felt like…like someone was there with me."

"And you're positive that no was there?"

"Yes. I'm sure."

Bou-san thought for a moment. "The door was locked, all the windows closed?"

Mai nodded. "I make sure everything's closed and locked before I go to bed every night. And if I'm on a case, my neighbour makes sure everything's locked up."

"I see," said the monk thoughtfully.

They thanked Junpei and left his room, closing the door behind them.

"Was yesterday morning the only time you felt that way?"

"No, I felt it later at school during math class and again when I first walked into SPR," replied Mai. "Over here," she added, pulling on his sleeve to direct him.

"And again there was nothing around to cause this?" asked Bou-san, shifting his grip on the camera he was holding.

"Nope," said Mai, grabbing hold of the end of the device the man had just dropped. "I get along with my class and teachers pretty well and Lin-san was the only one near me when I went into the office.

Thanking Mai for saving the camera and saving him from the wrath of their narcissistic Naru, Bou-san began the next setup in silence. He lost himself in his thoughts and worked on auto-pilot, but out of the corner of his eye, noticed Mai jump and glance behind her once more. To him, whatever was going on with Mai, sounded similar to what their client, Takeshi was dealing with. The red haired teen was being stalked by a spirit though. Could it be that the same was happening to his young friend?

"Mai…"

"Hai?"

Bou-san hesitated, knowing Mai wasn't going to like what he said next. He knew she was an independent girl and taking that freedom away from her was suffocating.

"Mai, I want you to stay with either Naru, Lin-san or myself during this case." He rested a hand on her shoulder to stop her from arguing back and to look up at him, while he went on. "Whatever this is that's happening around you, I don't like it. I don't know whether this is something serious or not, but I don't want to take any chances…alright?"

Mai looked at how serious he was and then sighed. "Alright, fine…"

Bou-san smiled, reaching out to ruffle her short brown hair. "Don't worry Mai. I'm sure it'll be alright."

The girl returned the smile before saying, "So, shall we finish this up then?"

Beginning to laugh and joke once more, Mai and Bou-san finished up with setting all the equipment. The monk went along with Mai for now, but had already decided to speak to Naru later on. No doubt the young man would get angry that Mai hadn't told him herself, but hey, it was better than not saying anything at all, right?

By the time everything had been set up and calibrated properly, it had gotten pretty late. Takeshi had told them that there were only two free rooms and that they'd have to pair up. It was actually rather obvious as to who would pair up with whom. Bou-san and Lin would be bunking together, while Naru and Mai would be together. Bunking together, actually meant sharing a bed, something Mai was really rather nervous about…not that she showed it.

"Naru?"

The black haired teen turned to look at the monk standing behind him.

"Yes?"

"I need to talk to you," said Bou-san, folding his arms across his chest.

Naru copied this stance waiting impatiently. "It's late Bou-san, can this not wait until morning?"

"It probably can," replied the monk with a shrug. "But I'd rather it didn't. And after you hear what it's about, I don't think you'll want to wait either."

"What is it then?" asked Naru. "What's this about?"

"Mai."

Naru blinked. "What?"

**And that's it for now. Like I said, there wasn't much Naru involved and yes, this was meant to be a heavy dialogue chapter, next one will probably be too, but in either the next chapter or the one after, there'll be a bit of a Naru jealousy scene, since allot of you seem to want to see something like it. Don't worry, it'll happen. Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yo…man, it's been forever. Gods, I don't even know what to say. I'm really sorry.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters…**

Bou-san began to recount what was going on with Mai, grateful that no one else was around to hear it. He wanted to make sure Naru fully understood what was going on and what he was saying. Just as he predicted though, Naru didn't seem very happy once he had finished.

"And why, may I ask, is it you who is telling me all this instead of Mai herself?" questioned Naru.

The monk shrugged. "She didn't want to worry you, I guess. You know how Mai is."

Naru nodded absentmindedly. _That would explain her odd behaviour and the strange temperature fluctuations_, he realized. "I appreciate you informing me of this," he said. Bou-san gave him a nod and a clap on the shoulder (which he shook off) before heading into the room he would be sharing with Lin. _She should have told me this herself_, thought Naru in annoyance. _Now, where is that little chit? It seems that it's time for a little chat._

Not finding Mai in _their_ room, Naru went back to the empty base and looked at each monitor one by one. When he finally spotted Mai, a deep scowl etched its way onto his face. The girl was _alone_ with Takeshi, sitting cross-legged on _his_ bed in _his_ room in her _pyjamas_.

Naru rushed over to said chamber, knocked sharply on the door, but didn't wait for an answer before he threw it open. Mai and Takeshi both looked at him, surprised at his abrupt entrance.

"Can I help you with something, Shibuya-san?" asked Takeshi, confused.

"Mai, were you not just told to not wander off alone?" questioned Naru, completely ignoring Takeshi and recalling what Bou-san had just told him.

"I'm not an idiot," snapped the girl, crossing her arms across her chest. "I asked Bou-san first, you know, and-"

Her boss cut her off. "Getting permission doesn't mean anything if no one's there to defend you. A feat you obviously cannot accomplish alone."

Mai scoffed. "I'm not alone!" she defended.

"Takeshi-san here, doesn't count."

"Wow," the redhead young man laughed. "He _really _doesn't listen to you, huh?"

"Nope, never."

Takeshi looked at Naru. "Sorry, Shibuya-san, but Mai was smart enough to bring John with her."

Naru blinked in surprise. "John?" He glanced around, but did not see the priest anywhere. Wait, John? _When did John get here? I don't recall informing him of this case._

His confusion had obviously shown on his face, for both Mai and Takeshi smirked. They moved over to the foot of the bed to reveal a blond haired young man, who was fast asleep, tangled in the bed sheets.

Naru blinked, not having expected that. "And when, exactly, did John arrive?" he questioned. "I did not request his aid in this case," _How had he not noticed the priest arrive anyway? Why hadn't anyone told him? Had he really been _that _lost in thought?_

"Oh, he's not here because of that," smiled Mai.

"She's right," said Takeshi. "John's actually an old family friend."

This surprised Naru even further. "Sorry?" he said, thinking he had heard wrong.

"My family spent quite a bit of time in Australia a few years ago," explained the red haired teen. "We met John's family while we were there, and spent a lot of time together. We were the only children, and were only a year apart in age, so we became good friends."

"Why has he never spoken about you then?" asked Naru.

"He has," smiled Mai. "You just happened to not be there whenever he did." The look on her face clearly said she was enjoying this. "But it _is_ getting late," she realized. "John probably _should_ head home."

All three of them looked at the sleeping priest, and Takeshi gave a shrug.

"The guy's already knocked out," he said. "And he lives alone, anyway. I see no reason why he can't stay."

"You're going to let him sleep on your bed?" questioned Mai in surprise.

"Hell no! The bed's all mine!" The two friends shared a grin. "I'll get him a sleeping bag."

And together, the two heaved John off the bed and tucked him into a sleeping bag they had set up at the foot of Takeshi's bed. John didn't stir. Naru was still standing there in surprise.

"Mai, bed," he said finally.

The girl sighed. "Yes, boss…" She stretched and placed a kiss on Takeshi's cheek. "Night, senpai."

"Good night, Mai," smiled the red haired teen with a slight smirk. He had realized that Naru didn't like what he was witnessing. Deciding on torturing him a bit more, Takeshi leaned down and gave Mai a kiss of his own, on the cheek, of course.

Letting out a small growl, Naru reached out, grabbed Mai by the arm, and tugged her out of the room.

"Naru! Let go of me! Naru!" Mai snatched her arm out of his grasp and rubbed it. "What the hell's wrong with you?!" The young man had practically dragged her down the hall, and they were now standing in front of their room.

Naru didn't respond. He simply headed into their room and began getting ready for bed. Though his expression was one of calm, inside, he was fuming. _How dare Takeshi kiss Mai like that? It was only on the cheek, and probably didn't really even mean anything beyond friendship anyway, but still…_

Huffing slightly, Mai glared at her boss before getting into bed. _What the heck's wrong with him? There was no reason for him to- _but her thoughts were cut short when Naru got into bed next to her, settling himself under the covers.

Blushing, Mai turned her back on him. She'd never shared a bed with a guy before. She'd slept in the same bed as Ayako, Masako and Keiko and Michiru, but _never_ a boy…especially one like, like Naru.

What Mai didn't know, was that Naru was jealous. Jealous of how close she was with her friend. She didn't know how much he wished he could be that close to her. How much he wished he could innocently touch her like that. How much he wanted her for himself…

**And that's that. I've already begun writing the next chapter, but who knows when I'll finish it, so please keep up with me like you've been doing. Looking** **forward to reviews! Laterz!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yo, right, so, things are gonna be picking up in this chapter. Personally, I find the end to be downright creepy, so hope you like it…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters…**

Mai had only been asleep for a few hours, when she was suddenly awoken by a hand, skimming up her leg. She opened her eyes, surprised. _What was Naru doing?_ But when she glanced over to her left, she saw that Naru was fast asleep, with both hands to himself…sort of. Wherever his hands were, they were _not_ on her legs. She looked down…there was nothing there.

"Ah!" She moved and sat up, bringing her knees to her chest, staring at the spot her legs had been.

Naru, having heard the exclamation, stirred. "…Mai, what're you doing?" His voice was slurred with sleep, but he forced his eyes open. "What's wrong?" he questioned, suddenly alert.

"It…it was touching me," said Mai, her voice fearful. "Touching my leg, moving up towards…" she trailed off, unable to say where, but Naru understood.

The young man reached over and turned on the bedside lamp, engulfing the room in a dim glow. He looked around, but saw nothing. It was only because of the fear on Mai's face that Naru knew for sure that something had indeed happened. Shifting into a proper sitting position, Naru looked at his young assistant, who still had her legs drawn to her chest.

"Let me see your legs, Mai," he demanded.

Mai looked at him, surprised by his sudden request. Then, hesitantly, she straightened her legs and moved the blanket off them, leaving them bare.

Seeing that smooth, pale skin, Naru had to force himself to remain in control. He examined Mai's legs simply with his eyes at first, but then, giving into impulse, began running his hand up one of them. He heard Mai's breath catch at the touch, but didn't stop.

His hand traveled higher and higher, and it was then that he felt it. It seemed to be a cut, but it had an odd shape. He pressed in, carefully, and Mai gave a gasp of pain.

"Sorry. You're hurt, Mai. There's a cut here, I think." His fingers traveled gently over the cut on her inner left thigh. "Do you remember hurting yourself?"

Mai shook her head, her hair falling over her eyes. "I know I didn't hurt myself. I'm sure of it."

Naru hesitated, knowing that what he was about to say next was going to be rather awkward. "Mai…I need to see the wound…"

Mai's eyes widened and a blush immediately crossed her face. "Oh…okay." Hesitantly, she opened her legs slightly.

"A bit more, Mai… I can't see it."

"O-okay…" She parted them further and then shut her eyes tightly.

Naru lowered himself closer to the wound, vaguely registering that if someone were to walk in at this very moment, they'd think he was doing…something else to Mai. What else would a guy be doing with his head between a girl's thighs? Naru was also hyper aware of a certain…part of Mai that he was very close to, and was half wishing that the circumstances were different.

As he examined the cut however, Naru completely lost his train of thought. "J?"

"Hah…?"

"The cut…it's shaped as the letter J," said Naru. His eyes narrowed and he bent closer. "Wait…"

"W-what is it?" Mai was a girl who had the most massive crush on her boss, and this boss currently had his head between her legs, mere _inches _away from her most intimate place. So yes, she was nervous.

Naru had just noticed something else. The J shaped cut wasn't the only one there. In fact, there were two more cuts, all different letters, forming a word. "J-O… Bloody hell."

"Naru, what?" As the letter belonged to the English alphabet, Mai wasn't quite sure of what he was saying.

The young man then finally said what he saw. "JOY."

Mai blinked in surprise. "It carved the word 'JOY' on my thigh? _Why_?"

"I don't know, Mai."

Mai huffed in annoyance as Naru straightened up and moved away. "There is _nothing joyful_ about having 'JOY' cut into my damn skin!"

"I know, Mai, I know." Giving into impulse once again, he reached out and brushed her hair back out of her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that you felt as if someone was after you?"

Mai's eyes widened. "Wha-? How did you…?" And then she realized. "Bou-san," she muttered.

"Don't blame him. I'm glad he told me." He frowned. "Mai, you should have said something."

With a sigh, Mai laid back down. "I just…didn't want to worry you. And of you."

Naru laid down as well, and they both stared up at the ceiling in silence. Neither of them knew what to say, so they remained that way in silence, both eventually falling asleep without even realizing that they'd done so.

Caught in the sweet oblivion of sleep, neither Naru nor Mai realized that they were not, in fact, alone in the room. Standing off in a corner was a man. A man who appeared, at first glance, to be a shadow with glowing red eyes and bright white teeth that were bared in a snarl.

He wanted that girl. The one on the bed. He wanted her and he was going to have her. After all, he _always_ got what he wanted. Being dead wasn't going to stop him.

But that boss of hers was a problem. So was the monk and that man with the stupid demon pets, and maybe even the priest. They were going to get in his way. He just _knew_ it. Interfering bastards. But that just meant he'd have to take care of them. Well that wasn't going to be too hard. It wasn't as if he hadn't already done that before.

He was going to get rid of all of those annoying, interfering guys. Then, when he was done, he was going to take her for his own.

He was going to make her his, right in front of her dead boss…

**That's all for now. I still think the end's kinda creepy…don't you? Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yo, okay so…last chapter was kinda creepy, huh? This one isn't creepy like that. It's actually pretty serious. Nothing major going on, just some discussion about what's gonna be happening next and stuff. As this is the tenth chapter, I'd like to thank you for all faves, alerts, follows and reviews.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters…**

Naru and Mai were awoken a few hours later by Takeshi banging on the door, telling Mai that if they didn't get up soon, all the pancakes would be finished. As Mai loved pancakes, she wasted no time in getting out of bed…much to Naru's displeasure.

Pretty soon, the entire team was seated at the large dining table, along with Takeshi and Junpei. As she chowed down on her pancakes, Mai informed the others about what had occurred the night before, not knowing about the danger that the stalking entity posed to her.

Takeshi seemed very concerned by the attack, as it had happened in his house and therefore, may have been his fault. John however, who had been planning to leave later as he wasn't really needed in this case, didn't seem to agree with his friend. He chewed on his pancake thoughtfully as Mai explained everything.

Bou-san had all but demanded to see the strange cut, and Mai assured the monk that she would show it to him later as it was in a very, uh…awkward place, and the girl was in no mood to flash herself at the breakfast table.

Soon however, Bou-san had had a good look at the cut, and had even taken a few pictures of it so that the others would be able to see it without Mai feeling embarrassed.

"Takeshi-san, have you ever received cuts similar to the one Mai got last night?" asked Naru once the table had been cleared of the breakfast dishes.

Takeshi, who was even more worried now that he had seen the picture of the wound, shook his head, running a hand through his reddish hair. "Never. Like I said before, it's never even touched me before. I think. If it has, it was when I was asleep, so I wouldn't have noticed."

"What's happening to Mai-san doesn't involve Takeshi or this case," said John suddenly with a frown.

Everyone looked at him in surprise, not having expected him to say that. Though he was frowning, the priest had a rather thoughtful look on his face.

"Why do you say that?" asked Naru. Even though John wasn't officially on the case, Naru wasn't about to ignore what he had to say.

The blond however, shook his head. "I am…unsure," he said finally.

Now the others were even more confused. Why would he bring this whole thing up if he didn't even have an explanation to back it up?

"C'mon, John what're you thinking about?" questioned Junpei, curious. It was very interesting how the priest's mind worked.

John shook his head again, but surprisingly, Bou-san was the one who took over. He ran a hand through his hair, drawing everyone's attention, then, leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms over his chest, a rather serious look crossing his face.

"No," he said slowly. "Mai started feeling this thing _hours _before we even knew we _had_ a case. It just ended up getting _worse_ when we came here."

Naru pulled his pondering stance, bringing his fingers up to his chin as he thought hard. _What could this thing be? Why is it after Mai? Are they right? Does it really not have anything to do with this case? Unless the entity _knew_ we would be coming here… Possible, but unlikely, at least in these circumstances._

"I feel as if I should stay and help," said John suddenly. "There is something very strange going on here and frankly, I'm concerned for Mai-san's safety. What do you think, Shibuya-san?"

Thinking, Naru glanced over at Lin, who gave him a subtle nod. The Chinese man too had a thoughtful frown on his face, which clearly showed Naru that his guardian agreed with the priest and monk.

"Very well," said Naru finally. "…Perhaps it _would_ be best to have you here. Is that fine with you, Takeshi-san?" He didn't want John's staying being an inconvenience, after all.

"Of course!" replied the redhead happily. "I'd be grateful for your help, John, and I'm sure Mai would too." With the priest being one of his closest friends, Takeshi obviously trusted him. And despite the fact he hadn't actually told them this, he trusted the rest of SPR too. If Mai and John trusted them, then he would too.

"I'm sorry, senpai," said Mai softly. "We were supposed to be helping you, and instead…"

Reaching over the table, Takeshi took Mai's hand, smiling gently. "We're in the same boat here, Mai. There's something messed up after both of us and they want to help." He shrugged, his smile growing wider. "Why not kill two birds with one stone and help us together at the same time?"

This_ did_ get a bit of a laugh out of Mai. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

"We're returning to the base," announced Naru suddenly. Now that the whole Mai angle had been added in, they needed a new game plan...not that he'd really had much of a plan before.

"First of all," said Naru, once they were all seated in the base, "we need to set up a camera in our room, Mai. I want to catch and document this thing if it tries to show itself. It did something with you once, it's likely that it will do so again. John, I want you with Mai for this."

Mai and John looked at one another, shrugged, smiled, and nodded. "Sure thing, Naru."

"Bou-san, talk to Takeshi-san and Junpei-san. See if you can get anything else out of them. There's more to this situation than we know."

"You mean…senpai hasn't told us everything?" asked Mai in confusion, wondering why her friends would do that.

"That is what I believe," said Naru. When Bou-san acknowledged him with a nod, the boss addressed his older assistant next. "Lin, I want you to research Mai's apartment building and the land it's on and around." He paused, thought. "Do the same for her school, in more detail than we did last time." He stopped and thought again. "Add this house and the houses and land around them for Mai's friends Keiko-san and Michiru-san to that as well."

"…Noll, that's a lot of research for one person, you know," said Lin, sounding faintly surprised.

"Fine. I'll call Yasuhara-san and see if he can spare some time."

Mai too, seemed rather surprised. "Why Keiko and Michiru's houses?"

"The entity may have come from there. It could have attached itself to you while you were at one of their houses. I'm not taking any chances. The more we know about all these places, the better."

"…Naru, you're acting like this is one of the most serious things in the world."

"It is," replied Naru, looking at her straight in the eye. "If we don't take this seriously, Mai…you're going to die."

**Yep, that's it for now. So, it's starting to get serious, huh? Thankz for all readers and stuff so far, appreciate it. Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Yo. Well, sorry about the wait…again. Thanks to everyone who's read this so far!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters. I do, however, own Takeshi and Junpei, so no stealing…**

Mai and John were laughing as they set up a camera in the room Naru and Mai were sharing. Taking his laptop with him, Lin left the house and headed to the library to begin his research. True to his word, Naru gave Yasuhara a call, and the bespectacled teen promised to help, even though he was actually unable to join them. Bou-san headed into the living room, determined to get some information out of Takeshi and Junpei. When Naru said their clients were hiding something, it meant they were hiding something.

Left alone in the base, Naru collapsed onto the chair near the monitors with a sigh, almost feeling defeated. He didn't understand what was going on in this house. Why were both Takeshi _and_ Mai being targeted? Was it the same entity causing _both_ incidents? Or were there two of them?

If there was one, then why _Mai_? If there were two, then why _Mai_? Why _Takeshi_? What had the two teens done to warrant a stalking spirit? What could they_ possibly_ have done?

Naru frowned as a thought came to him. _Could Mai have picked up her stalking entity during one of their previous investigations? _It wasn't impossible, after all. But even then…how? _We always exorcise all the entities in all locations… Could we have missed one? And that one, for some reason, attached itself to Mai? Possible…_

_But their last investigation had been ages ago. Mai didn't start feeling things until just the other day. If this entity decided to follow Mai during the last case, then why didn't it begin with the activity earlier? Why now, after all this time?_

_It just didn't fit… There _isn't_ a connection. There simply _can't_ be. Bou-san was right when he stated that Mai was experiencing activity before Takeshi-san even stepped foot into the office. Unless-! _Naru suddenly sat up straight. _Possible,_ he thought. _Definitely possible…_

Mai winced in sympathy. "Well that had to hurt. Was he okay after all that?"

"Oh yeah," replied John airily, watching as the girl double checked the camera's angle. "He was perfectly fine, but he _did_ end up in a lot of trouble."

"Well that's not surprising at all, considering what he did. Whew! Done!" The two commenced their journey back to the base. "What about his friend? That girl? Was she alright?"

"Ah, well she wasn't _physically_ harmed, but she's become a little paranoid."

The conversation ended abruptly when the girl and priest reentered the base. Naru was seated in the chair in front of the monitors, a preoccupied expression on his face. Mai and John exchanged a shrug, before sitting down themselves. They were about to continue their previous conversation, when Naru suddenly and _finally_ noticed that they were back.

"Mai."

The girl looked over at her boss in confusion. "Yes?" she asked, wondering why he looked so serious.

At first, Naru said nothing. He just looked at her thoughtfully. Then, rather suddenly, said, "Tea."

Mai blinked. She hadn't been expecting him to say_ that_. Well, she _had_ been waiting for him to ask for tea, but had assumed, by the serious look on his face, that he was going to ask her some sort of question regarding her friends or dead family or something. "Um, okay."

_It was time_, Naru decided, _for an experiment_. He watched Mai walk out of the room alone, then swiveled around in his chair, to watch her over the monitors. Mai walked down the hallway, encountering no one, then entered the kitchen. It was empty. _Perfect. _The girl began preparing tea, set the water to boil, and yet, nothing happened.

Naru waited a couple more minutes, watching rather intently. _It's time…_ He got to his feet, told John to watch over the monitors, then made his way over to the kitchen, where his young assistant was still waiting on the water.

Hearing footsteps, Mai looked round and saw Naru approached her. "Hey Naru, what's up?" she asked with a smile. As she had expected, her boss said nothing at first, merely made his way over to her, and came to a stop by the counter next to the stove, which he then leaned upon.

"What's taking you so long, Mai? Have you forgotten how to make tea or something?"

Mai blinked. "What? Of course not! And I am _not_ taking a long time! This is how long it _always_ takes to make tea!"

Naru however, shook his head. "No, it's definitely been longer than usual." _That's right, just act normally. Good job, Mai. You're making this easy. Now, hopefully it'll work…_

The girl let out an exasperated sigh, and began muttering under her breath. Naru knew that she was, no doubt, insulting him, but he really didn't care at the moment. He was waiting. What it was that he was waiting for, he didn't actually know. But he knew he would have at least _one_ answer, if what he was waiting for happened.

The kettle went off with its usual screech, and Mai immediately turned off the stove. She reached for the kettle, picked it up, and as soon as she did, it exploded. The sound it made was quite impressive; it was almost like a gun going off.

"Kyaaa!" Shocked, Mai let out a scream and jumped back, cradling her left arm. A rather menacing laugh reverberated through the room, and Mai sank down to her knees with a whimper. Surprised, Naru got down next to her. That had been a little more than he had been expecting.

It took about a minute, but soon, the kitchen was packed. It seemed everyone in the house had heard the exploding kettle and creepy-ass laugh.

"Mai, your arm!"

Both Naru and Mai had assumed that she had burned her arm, but that didn't seem to be the case. It looked as if a word had been engraved into her left forearm, just like the one on her thigh.

"P-A-I-N... Pain?" Slowly, Mai looked up at Naru.

Though Naru's face betrayed nothing, on the inside, he was smiling smugly. "I knew it…"

**So, what was it that Naru was trying to do? What is it that he knows? …I have no idea. Well, I've got a vague clue, but I haven't fully thought it out yet. Dunno when the next chapter will be up. Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Yo. I am so sorry that this took so long. But I'm hoping that'll change because I finally know what's happening in this fic. I was just sitting there trying to do law homework and then WHAM!- I was run over by a plot bunny. That plot won't be very clear in this chapter, but you'll figure it out later on. Thanks to all readers so far, and a special thanks to everyone who reviewed. That last chapter got me over one hundred! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters...**

After returning to the base, Lin documented and tended to Mai's wounds. More tea was made and passed around, and the team had gathered to report what they had found. But first-

"Naru-bou," began Bou-san seriously, "what is it that you know?"

Naru looked at him, seemingly confused. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Bou-san."

The monk rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't play that game with me," he said, sounding rather annoyed, something quite uncharacteristic for him. "Earlier in the kitchen, after we saw Mai's wounds, you said, 'I knew it'. So? What do you know?"

Naru scowled. He hated when people figured out what he was thinking. Resigned, he let out a sigh. "I believe it is possible that Mai picked up the entity during one of her previous visits to this house."

"What?"

"I also believe that this spirit is...infatuated with Mai, and reacts negatively when it becomes jealous, such as when we are alone together."

"...What?" Mai was very surprised by this.

"There is evidence to support this theory," said Naru with a shrug.

"Such as?"

"The first time she was attacked was when we were asleep in the same bed. That was last night, when the word 'JOY' was etched onto her thigh. We were alone in the kitchen earlier as well and now we have 'PAIN'.

"Then the solution's simple. We just won't leave the two of you alone anymore." Bou-san ran his fingers through his hair. "Right," he muttered, "like we're going to be able to keep a pair of hormonal teens away from one another..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. So, Naru-bou, why do you think she picked the entity up from a previous visit to this house?"

Naru ignored the question and instead, posed one of his own. "Mai, when was the last time you visited this house?"

Confused but not bothering to argue, Mai thought back. It hadn't been that long ago. "It was a couple of days ago," she replied after a moment. "Friday, I think. After school."

The black haired teen nodded once. "And when did you begin to feel uneasy?"

"The day before we all came here."

Naru thought for a moment, mentally creating a timeline. _Friday Mai visited Takeshi-san at his house. Saturday she began to feel uneasy. Sunday we received the case request. Monday we arrived and that night the word 'joy' was cut into her thigh. Now today, Tuesday, the word 'pain' is cut into her arm..._ He finally decided to speak aloud. "For whatever reason, this entity Mai, decided to attach itself to you when you came to this house on Friday. It has been with you since that day."

Mai said nothing. She had no idea what she _should_ say. She just felt very confused. Why had this spirit chosen to attach itself to her? What had she done to warrant its attention? Somehow, she felt it wasn't simply because she had abilities. There was something else going on here. She just didn't know what.

"What do you believe 'JOY' and 'PAIN" mean, Shibuya-san?" asked John, politely curious.

Naru thought, but had no choice but to reply honestly. He shook his head, because as much as he despised the thought, he really didn't know. He doubted it had anything to do with Mai's feelings though. It wouldn't make sense if that were the case, right? "We must put this behind us for the time being," said Naru suddenly.

For a minute, nearly everyone stared at the young boss as of he had lost his mind. But then they all understood. As much as they wanted to aid Mai, she wasn't the only one who needed help. In fact, they hadn't even come here to help their friend. They were supposed to be helping Takeshi.

Mai sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Right, Takeshi-senpai. We haven't done anything to help him yet." She looked rather upset by this sudden notion.

Naru turned to his guardian. "Lin, were you able to find anything?"

"Nothing that may relate."

"Bou-san? Did Takeshi-san and Junpei-san tell you anything?"

The monk shook his head. "Not really. Everything they said, we already knew."

"I see." Naru brought his fingers up to his chin as he fell into thought. For a couple of minutes there was silence. Just as Naru opened his mouth to ask/demand for tea, his phone went off. Frowning, he answered it. "Yes? ...Very well."

Yasuhara's voice suddenly filled the room. It was he who had called Naru, and had now been put on speaker so that everyone else could also hear what he had to say.

_"Hey guys, I hope the case is going okay?"_

"Yasuhara-san."

_"Alright, alright, I'll cut to the chase. I've uncovered some information about Takeshi Nakahara-san that you may find interesting."_

"And what would that be?"

_"I believe you are all under the impression that Takeshi-san is an only child?"_

"Yes, according to both Mai and John."

_"Well he isn't. The records I uncovered claim that he has an older brother by the name of Tatsuya Nishimura. I believe that Tatsuya-san is a half-brother to Takeshi-san. I'm following a couple of leads, so I'll call back when I have more."_

"Very well. Thank you, Yashuhara-san."

_"No problem. Don't forget to think about m-" _Naru cut him off by hanging up.

"Mai. John."

"I was unaware of this," said John immediately, looking a little worried. "I always believed he was an only child. No one ever said otherwise, and I've never seen anyone else either."

"Mai. Mai?"

The girl, who looked lost in thought, slowly looked up at her boss. "There used to be a teacher at my school named Tatsuya Nishimura. He taught math and he was Senpai's homeroom teacher too."

A frown reappeared on Naru's face. "You said he used to be? Did he quit that job?"

Mai shook her head, a sad look on her own face. "Sensei died back in December..."

**And that's it for this chapter. So do you guys think Naru's theory about the spirit being infatuated with Mai and jealous when the two are alone is correct? What do you think about Takeshi's stalker? Do you think he really means any harm? Do you think it's the man who may be his brother?**

**I just noticed that something Mai says to Bou-san a couple chapters back, changes the timeline a little, but that's wrong. Naru's timeline from this chapter is the correct one. Anyway, hopefully the next update won't take another like, seven months, but with me being who I am, who knows. Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Yo. As always, I'm very sorry for the wait. This chapter took me forever to write, but it's like, a page longer than usual, so hey, have at it. Oh, and because I apparently didn't make it clear before, Mai and Takeshi's cases are NOT connected. The teacher/brother; Tatsuya Nishimura is connected to TAKESHI'S case, NOT Mai's. Hope that clears things up a tad. Anyway, thanks to all readers so far, and an extra to all who reviewed.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters...**

Bou-san's eyes widened. "What do you mean he died?" he questioned, looking both surprised and confused.

Sighing softly, Mai shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know _how_ he died, just that he did. It's up to the principle on how much the students are told, so it wasn't really explained to us properly."

"Does this mean Takeshi-san isn't aware that he had an older brother?" asked Naru.

John and Mai exchanged a glance before the priest answered. "I don't believe he does. Mai-san and I have both known him for a while now, and he has never mentioned any siblings to either of us. My family was close to his as well, and even then it was never spoken about."

The monk ran his fingers through his hair. "So what, his _brother's_ the one stalking him? Why would he do that?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Bou-san," warned Naru. "We haven't confirmed any of this yet, though it _is_ a theory. We will have to wait for Yasuhara-san to get back to us with more information on Tatsuya Nishimura-san."

When the team released tired sighs, more than one of them yawned. Noticing this, Lin glanced over at the clock, and his eyes widened when he realized how late it was. "Perhaps it would be best if we were to call it a night," he said.

Naru was the first one to check the time after hearing the Chinese man, and his own blue eyes widened a fraction. He got to his feet and put down his notebook, everyone else following suit. They all left the Base together, splitting up in the hallway in order to head off to their respective bedrooms...

Settling into bed a few minutes later, Mai found she was more anxious about possibly being attacked by the creepy spirit again, than the fact she'd be sleeping next to Naru. Having already slept in the same bed as him the night before wasn't enough to get rid of that nervousness, but the thought of the spirit was more intimidating than her boss.

Sleep came surprisingly easily for Mai though, and she drifted off mere minutes after her head hit the pillow. She never noticed Naru sit up next to her and turn on the bedside lamp as he pulled out his notebook to go over the case facts for the hundredth time...

_Mai awoke in chilling darkness. Struggling to her feet, she looked around curiously. Seeing nothing but blackness and unsure of where to go or what to do, the girl chose a random direction and began to walk. Her breath misted in the air in front of her and she wrapped her arms around herself, absently seeking some sort of warmth from her body._

Why is it so cold? _she wondered as she walked. _Why did Gene call me here? What did he want to show me? I don't see anything at all... _Despite this, she continued walking, sure that she would see something soon. _Where _is_ Gene anyway? _Mai rubbed her arms, head turning this way and that as she looked for something, _anything_ that stood out in the darkness._

_The girl walked for what felt like an hour, the odd chill in the air seeping into her bones. She began debating on whether she should just start calling out for the Davis twin that helped her out while in the Astral Plane, when she suddenly noticed a small point of light in the distance._

_Mai rushed over to it immediately, annoyed that rather than getting warmer, it was actually becoming colder. At least the light was getting bigger as she approached._

_The light abruptly engulfed the area around her, slowly forming some sort of scene in the past. At least _this_ was something she understood, especially since it was what usually occurred in the odd place._

_Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Mai focused on the surrounding area, trying to figure out what she was seeing and why. Chances were it had something to do with either her or Takeshi-senpai. It was their...issues SPR was currently dealing with after all._

_The first thing Mai noticed, was that it was snowing. Well, that explained why it was so damn cold. Her brow furrowed in confusion when she saw where she was, or rather, where the scene in front of her was replicating. She was standing in the middle of the courtyard that was behind her school, the very place she ate lunch at._

_Takeshi was sitting on a bench, chatting with some of his friends. Mai and her friends Keiko and Michiru were there too. Mai found that it was really weird to see herself like that._

Weird indeed, _she thought as she watched herself laugh. Her eyes narrowed. "What the heck happened to my hair?" she muttered, looking annoyed. Clearly she hadn't been having a very good hair day at the time..._

_Annoyance soon melted into confusion. What was so special about this day that she had to see it replayed in the Astral Plane of all places? Because she knew this wasn't just any old dream. But nothing odd seemed to be happening. Just a group of teenagers chatting during lunchtime. Nothing out of the ordinary there, right?_

_So then why was she seeing this particular day? _Something_ important must have occurred. Something that pertained to their current case..._

_Tearing her eyes away from the people before her, Mai began looking around carefully. Maybe there was something out of place that she hadn't noticed at the time of the even taking place in front of her._

_At first the girl didn't see anything that stuck out. There were other students around, some she recognized, but they all seemed to be minding their own business, caught up in their own conversations and lunches. The few teachers Mai saw were the same._

_She didn't understand it at all. This was why she needed Gene here. He was always the one who pointed out the important things. Mai always struggled without him. _But if Gene's not here, it must be because he's expecting me to be able to figure this out by myself_, thought Mai suddenly. _He's trusting me with this.

_Struck with a sense of resolve, the brunette focused all her attention on the area surrounding her past self and friends. She looked at all the people again, carefully this time, and after a long moment, saw something she hadn't noticed before; Nishimura-sensei._

_The man was simply standing there, watching them. He was near enough to be able to see the various expressions on their faces, yet far enough to be unable to hear what they were saying. He had his phone out and up near his face, but Mai could see his eyes fixed on their group-no, not the group-Takeshi-senpai._

_Curious, Mai approached her former sensei, wondering if she'd be able to learn anything by doing so. In hindsight, she was going to be glad she did, for the strangest thing began happening when she did._

_The scene surrounding her vanished back into darkness, and the only thing that remained was Tatsuya Nishimura, who was looking straight at her. "Taniyama-san," he greeted in that voice she remembered so well._

_"Sensei," Mai replied, both confused and surprised._

_The man smiled. "You've begun to figure it out, I see."_

_Mai nodded hesitantly. "You were Senpai's older brother, right?"_

_Tatsuya inclined his head. "Yes, but he never knew." Pausing, he pulled a simple white envelope out of his pocket, and handed it to her. "I wrote a letter to Takeshi, but was unable to give it to him while I was alive. I was hoping you could do so for me?"_

_"Of course," replied Mai immediately, not even questioning the possibility of that._

_He smiled again. "I suggest you read it first though. Some of your questions will be answered." The man waited until he received a nod before continuing. "Could you also tell him that I'm sorry for scaring him? I am indeed the one who has been 'stalking' him since December, but it was not my intention to frighten him. I simply wanted to watch over him, like I was unable to do in life."_

_"Okay," Mai nodded. _So I guess this is one case solved,_ she thought._

_"It seems you've got a stalking entity of your own though," said Tatsuya after a pause, a frown now visible on his face. "I hope that boss of yours realizes it isn't me."_

_Mai laughed lightly. "I'll make sure he knows."_

_"Good." He hesitated. "Please be careful though. While I may not mean any harm to Takeshi, the opposite can be said about this thing and you."_

_"I understand," replied the girl solemnly. "I'll be careful..."_

**And that's that. Um, I can't really think of anything to say, so I'll just go with the usual. Dunno when the next chapter'll be up. Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!**


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